tx gun runner

My 357 Blackhawk had a light firing pin strike and didn't stick out the frame like my other SA Rugers . Replacing the firing pin a real pain it the butt . It looks easy but the whole gun must be disassembled and takes about 2 hrs from start to finish . The new firing pin was .013 longer that the orginal



I also cut the forcing cone to 11 degrees and test fired the gun . Here my test fire target below , which I'm super happy with it and the gun . If I knew it was going to shoot so good I would have adjusted the sights .

Bountyhunter

Changing a firing pin is a pain! I wouldn't try it.

I must say though, the before pic looks like the strike was plenty hard enough. If it fires, it's a good hit. I know you know much more about it than I do, but still, I wouldn't have messed with it. The after looks borderline bust thru. Could just be the pic.

Cruelshoes

If you need somebody to take it apart again, I am an expert.

Bountyhunter

Deadeye

I had a similar issue with my .45 Colt BH. I filed a little off of the hammer where it contacts the frame. That allows it to slap the firing pin a little harder.

Took care of the problem & a lot easier than replacing the FP.

Bountyhunter

Must have been after you changed to a SBH hammer? I had to do the same one time.

tx gun runner

One of my Vaquero's was that way , but this one the FP was .013 shorter that the replacement , and if you pushed mine manually in the frame it barely stuck out of frame unlike my other guns .

BH ..... A light primer strike causes irregular ignition , it's like changing from reg to mag primer and a light strike can cause super high pressures also because the flame in not hot enough and changes burning rate of the powder . If you would run it over a chrony you find the standard deviation would be super high .

Bountyhunter

Roger that, Red leader.

XLCH

Firing pinprotrusion should beat lest .055, ideally .060, check it.

tx gun runner

Mine measured .061 at the stop and .055 with hammer against it , which give it a .006 of free travel . I looked for Ruger spec on firing pins 9 mo age and never found it . I measured 3 Vaquero and that is about avg on mine . The original one only measured .047 at the stop and I never measured free travel . With the hammer forward there is a .002 air gap between the FP and primer which should be perfect .

XLCH

I got those numbers from the Jerry Kuhnhausen book Ruger Single Action Revolvers.

tx gun runner

Is there a spec for free travel or air gap in the book ......

XLCH

No, not that I have found, are you using a stock mainsprings?

tx gun runner

I put all the stock hammer springs back in my SA . The lock time was too long will the lighter springs and in the SASS/CAS matches I was over running targets because of the long lock time . WHY ?

XLCH

They were saying that with a light spring and a short firing pin protrusion you could have problems.

XLCH

I was getting a similar problems on my 30 carbine and I changed the main spring with one from a black powered ruger, helped a lot.

gunman42782

That is a major job, replacing the firing pin in a Blackhawk! I can take one apart and put it back together, but don't think I would want to tackle that.

Deadeye

That was it.